Beaten Down, Not Out: Top Five Stocks That Made A December Comeback

Beaten down through most of the year, several mid- and large-cap names staged a sharp comeback in December, helped by a mix of improving news flow, valuations turning attractive and stock-specific triggers.

Data shows that Himadri Speciality Chemicals, KEC International, Deepak Nitrite, Swiggy and Natco Pharma — all heavy underperformers between January and November — posted notable gains in December.

Read on to know why.

Himadri Speciality Chemicals had fallen 25.16% between January and November, as carbon black and speciality margins remained under pressure amid volume and realisation concerns.

In December, the stock bounced back 10.42% as early signs of margin stability emerged and valuation comfort attracted buyers who saw the stock as “too cheap to ignore.”

KEC International declined 42.8% till November, weighed down by the Power Grid tender ban overhang and execution challenges in overseas projects.

The stock gained 8.64% in December, after the Delhi High Court put the Power Grid ban on hold, and management commentary restored confidence around execution.

Deepak Nitrite slipped 37.5% from January to November amid a chemical cycle downturn, weak pricing, poor demand visibility, and earnings downgrade concerns.

In December, it rose 7.80%, supported by signs of cycle bottoming, forward-looking demand optimism, and renewed valuation comfort.

Swiggy was down 30.06% up to November, pressured by rising quick-commerce losses and intense competitive pressure.

The stock gained 7.43% in December, helped by festive demand tailwinds and a Rs 10,000 crore fundraise that eased balance sheet worries.

Natco Pharma dropped 36.7% between January and November due to the absence of major US launch triggers and pipeline-related uncertainty.

The stock recovered 5.31% in December on expectations of complex product launches and selective value buying in pharma names.

Despite sharp year-to-date drawdowns, December’s rebound highlights that markets continue to reward valuation comfort, legal reliefs, capital raises and improving sector outlooks, even in stocks that had been written off earlier in the year.